Powder consolidating press



March 8, 1960 H. v. MOG ETAL 2,927,499

POWDER CONSOLIDATING PRESS Filed June 21, 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. HENRY V MOG EDWIN C. PINSENSCHAUM Y March 8, 1960 H. v. MOG ETAL 2,

POWDER CONSOLIDATING PRESS Filed June 21 1955 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 I INVENTOR.

HENRY v. MOG EDWIN c. PINSENSCHAUM United States Patent 9 2,927,495 POWDER consounarmo PRESS Henry V. Mog and Edwin C. Pinsenschaum, Columbus, Ohio, assignors, by mesne assignments, to American Brake Shoe Company, New York, N.Y., a corporation of Delaware Application June 21, 1955, Serial No. 516,852 Claims. (Cl. 86-20) This invention relates to apparatus for compacting materials in containers or receptacles and While it is shown and described herein in connection with an apparatus for loading and compacting explosive powder into artillery projectiles, it is to be understood that it may be employed with equal facility for compacting other types of powder into other types of containers or receptacles.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved powder compacting device including support means for holding a receptacle such, for example, as an artillery projectile in which an explosive powder is to be compacted, a tamping mechanism supported for reciprocation within the receptacle and an improved powder feeding mechanism for feeding powder into the receptacle during the tamping operation.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved powder compacting apparatus, preferably but not necessarily associated with. a hydraulic press, having a reciprocating ram that carries a powder tamping instrument and includes a hopper for powder, the apparatus including improved means inthe form of an elastic tubular conductor, conduit or conveyor for conveying powderedmaterial by gravity from'the outlet of the hopper to a conduitsxor passage means formed in or otherwise associated with the tamping instrument, the conductor or conveyor being elastic and of such length that it will stretch and. contractupon reciprocation of the tamping instrument to knead or otherwise work upon powder thereby preventing stoppages in the flow of powder throughthe elastic co'nveyor as well as through the con: duit or passageway in or associated with the tamping instrument.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved pressing apparatus including a reciprocating means and a tamping instrument operated thereby to tamp powder into a container or receptacle, such as, for example, as an artillery shell, having anirregular interior contour or shape, the apparatus including improved means for causing the tamping instrument to rock or swing as it is reciprocated to causeits powder engaging end to follow the irregular interior shape of the receptacle, and in which apparatus there is a powder hopper from which powder is fed through the tamping instrument into the receptacle being loaded through'an'el'astic tube or conduit, said tube being elastic to permit relative movement'between said tamping instrument and the powder hopper and of such length-that it will stretch and contract to knead or otherwise work-upon powder which might tend to become lo'dged within it. v

Anotherobject of the invention is to provide an improved powder compacting press having a relatively mov- 2,927,499 Patented Mar. 8, 1960 able tamping instrument adapted to be reciprocated to tamp powder into a container or receptacle, a powder hopper o'r receptacle from which powder is fed into the receptacle and an elastic hose for conveying powder from the ram of the press supports a tamping instrument for a rocking movement so that the powder engaging end of the powder tamping instrument will follow the internal contour or shape of the projectile or shell without actually contacting the internal walls thereof, the press preferably being provided with or including a cam and follow means for guiding the tamping instrument as the latteris reciprocated.

Other objects and advantages of the invention willbe apparent from the following description, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings wherein a preferred form of embodiment of the invention is clearly shown.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a view in elevation looking at the front of a hydraulic press including'the invention;

Fig. 2 is a view in elevation looking at the left side of a portion of the press seen in Fig-l and showing a projectile and the holder therefor swung to a different position, as indicated in dotted lines;

Fig. 3 is a view in section and elevation and on a larger scale showing a portion of the press seen in Figs. 1 and 2, the plane of the parts in section being indicated generally by the line 33 in Fig. l, the view showing the press ram in its retracted position; a

Fig. 4 is a view somewhat similar of that of Fig. 3, but on a larger scale, showing the press ram in an extended position and the projectile and its holder in section;

Fig. 5 is a 'viewlooking at the opposite side of certain of the elements seen in Fig. 4 and sho'wingparticularly the cam and cam follower for directing oscillatory movement of the tamping instrument as the latter is reciprocated by the press ram, and

Fig. 6 is a view in elevation, with a cover removed, of

actuating apparatus for driving the powder metering and feeding device contained in the powder hopper of the apparatus. The apparatus shown in the drawings includes a hydraulic press 20 having an open gap or C type main frame 21 which includes a base section 22, ahead section 23 and a connecting back section 24. Frame 22 is fabricated from steel plates welded together, but it may be formed, for example, by a casting if desired.

Base section 22 of frame 21 provides a platen 25 upon which a turntable 26 is mounted. Turntable 26 includes a fluid motor 27 connected to rotate a work holder in the form of a container or receptacle receiver 28 journalled in the turntable 26 for rotation about an upright or vertical axis. The "receptacle receiver 28 is shown in the drawings as holding an artillery projectile or shell 29 that is to be loaded with explosive powder, and this operation will be fully described hereinafter.. The rotatable receptacle receiver 28 issupported for swinging movement from its normal upright or working position to a forwardly inclined position indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2 of the drawings, to facilitate the insertiono'f empty projectiles into it and the removal of loaded projectiles from it. Suitable locking means operated by a handle or lever 30 is provided for locking the receiver 28 in its upright position and for locking a projectile in the receiver.

A double acting or reversible stroke hydraulic cylinder and piston type motor 31 is carried in the head section 23 of main frame 21 and the piston rod 32 of this motor, which is reciprocable toward and away from the platen 25, constitutes the ram of the press 20. Reverse operation, the speed of operation of the ram 32 in certain portions of its stroke as well as the starting and stopping of the ram are controlled by suitable valve means, not shown, contained in head section 23 of frame 21. This valve vmeans is interposed in the hydraulic circuit of the press, not shown, between the motor 31 and a suitable source of hydraulic fluid under pressure such as a pump.

The bottom or lowermost end of the ram 32 is attached to a cross head 33 that slides on a pair of spaced parallel upright guide bars or rods 34 mounted to the a front of frame section 24. Rearwardly of the cross head 33 and guide bars 34 there is a pair of shipper rods 35 and 36 (see Fig. l) which are connected to operate the above mentioned valve means. Shipper rod 35 controls reverse operation of the ram 32 and it carries a pair of collars 37, only the lowermost one of which is seen in Fig. 1 of the drawings. The positions of these collars 37 may be adjusted along the shipper rod 35 and when either of them is engaged and moved by the cross head 33 it shifts the shipper rod 35 to cause the valve means above referred to to change the direction of travel of ram 32.

Shipper rod 36 is operated by the cross head 33 to shift the above mentioned valve means to change the rate of travel of ram 32 when it is operating in the lower portion of its stroke. This rod 36 carries a weight, not shown, that slides along it and is supported by a yoke, not shown, attached to the cross head 33. As the cross head 33, and consequently the ram 32, is extended toward the platen 25, this weight comes to rest on a collar 38 on shipper rod 36 and shifts the valve as aforesaid. Collar 38 may be adjusted to difierent positions along the shipper rod 36. 7

Cross head 33 carries a powder tamping instrument 39 mounted thereon for rocking movement about the axis of a pivot pin 40. The axis of pivot pin 40 extends at right angles to the axis of travel of the ram 32 and parallel to the front face of the back section 24 of frame 21. Rocking movement is imparted to the tamping instrument 39 about the axis of pivot pin 40 as the ram 32 is reciprocated to cause a tamping foot 41 on the bottom or tamping end of the instrument 39 to enter the open top or mouth of a projectile 29 mounted in the receiver 28 and to cause the toe 47 thereof to follow the curvature of the inner walls of the projectile as the ram moves up and down. To accomplish this rocking movement the head section 23 of frame 21 is provided with a cam or guide block 42 mounted thereto by a plurality of screws 43 (see Figs. 2 and An arm or lever 44 extends upwardly from the tamping instrument 39 and carries a cam roller 45 at its top which travels in a cam groove or slot 46 formed in block '42 for causing the tamping instrument 39 to be rocked as it and the ram 32 reciprocate. The shape of the groove or slot 46 is such that the toe 47 of the tamping foot 41 on the bottom of thetamping instrument 39 will follow the interior wall 48 of the projectile 29 closely but without actually contacting it.

The powder tamping instrument 39 is itself a conduit through which powder is fed into the projectile 29 being loaded. The lower portion of said tamping instrument 39 is actually a tubular conduit forming a central passage way which terminates adjacent the lower end of the instrument in a downwardly extending angular outlet 49 positioned to discharge powder from the side .of the tamping instrument 39 opposite the toe portion 47 of the tamping foot 41. Powder is fed into the lower portion of the tamping instrument 39 through a tube 56.

The head section 23 of press frame 21 carries a powder receiving or storage hopper 51 from the bottom outlet 52 of which powder is conveyed to the tube 50 and the lower portion of the tamping instrument 39 by a flexible, elastic hose or tube 53. A metering, feeding and stirring device 54 is positioned within the hopper 51. This device includes an upright shaft 55 which carries a pair of paddles preferably in the form of rods 56 for stirring the powder within the hopper 51 thereby to prevent arching of the latter in the hopper. The lower end of shaft 55 drives a metering disk 57. Disk 57 rides at one side upon the top of a fixed plate 58 and at its other side it extends undera fixed plate 59. Metering disk 57 includes a plurality of through openings 60 for carrying powder from the bottom of the hopper 51 under the plate 59 where said powder will fall from the chambers or openings 60 and pass through the bottom outlet 52 of the hopper 51, the elastic tube 53 and the tamping instrument 39 into the projectile 29. Shaft 55 is rotated by a double acting reciprocatory piston and cylinder type hydraulic motor 61 that operates a ratchet device including pawls 62 and a ratchet wheel 63 mounted on the top of shaft 55.

In the operation of the apparatus, a container, projectile or shell 29 is inserted in the receiver 28 when the latter is in the position indicated in dotted lines in Fig. 2 of the drawings. A filling collar 64 is then placed upon the open top or mouth of the projectile 29 and the receptacle receiver 28 is then swung to the upright position indicated in full lines in said figure and locked therein by the handle 30. The press is operated automatically by electric and hydraulic circuits not shown herein which form no part of the present invention. It may be stated, however, that the operation of the press is such that the ram 32 and tamping instrument 39 are reciprocated automatically throughout the filling and tamping operation and that the feeder mechanism 54 including shaft 55 and disk 57 is rotated by the motor 61 to time the flow of powder from the hopper 51 whereby the lower end and foot 41 of the tamping instrument 39 as well as the outlet 49 are within the projectile 29 or the filling collar 64 whenever powder is discharged through said outlet 49 and that the timing is such that this powder will be discharged into the projectile 29 while the tamping instrument is elevated above powder which has previously been tamped into the projectile. In this manner powder fed into the propectile through the outlet 49 will pass beneath the tamping foot -41 to be compacted thereby on the next down stroke of the ram 32. It will be seen that the elastic tube 53 is of such length that it will be stretched each time the ram 32 and tamping instrument 39 move downwardly and that said tube '53 will contract each time the ram and tamping instrument move upward. Since the tube 53 is elastic, any powder which might tend to clog the tube 53 will be kneaded and caused to pass by gravity downwardly through the tube and the conduit or passageway formed by the lower portion of the tamping instrument 39. Thus the tendency for powder to become lodged in the conduit means leading from the bottom of the hopper 51 to the bottom of the tamping instrument 39 is minimized and this action is particularly enhanced because the reciprocatory motion of the ram is rapid whereby the elastic tube 53 will be stretched and permitted to contract rapidly.

it may be mentioned that the hydraulic motor 31 is operated, preferably periodically'and when the ram 32 and tamping instrument 39 are elevated, to rotate the projectile to difierent positions whereby the tamping foot 41 will operate upon a different area of the powder being compacted in the projectile upon each pressing or down stroke of the ram .32 and tamping instrument 39. The

filling collar 64 is used for the purpose of holding the last of the powder to be compressed or compacted into the projectile thereby preventing any spillage of powder as the compacting'operation nears its end. It is'to be understood that this collar 64 may be placed upon the top of each projectile to be loaded or that a plurality of such collars may be employed. When more than one of'these collars are employed, they will, of course, be

I placed'upon the projectile-29 before they are placed in the receiver 28 and the collars will be removed'from the loaded projectiles after they have been removed therefrom.

While the form of embodiment of the present invention as herein disclosed constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

We claim:

1. In a powder consolidating press, a support; a ram movable toward and away from said support; a tamping instrument carried by said ram, said instrument having a powder passage formed therein; a powder receiving hopper fixedly held above said tamping instrument, said hopper having an outlet at the lower end thereof; and a flexible resilient conductor connected and establishing communication between said hopper outlet and the passage in said tamping instrument, said conductor forming a gravity feed path for powder and being of a length such that each reciprocation of said ram will cause said conductor to stretch and retract.

2.'In a powder consolidating press, a support; a ram movable toward and away from said support; a tamping instrument carried by said ram, said instrument having a powder passage extending longitudinally thereof; a powder receiving hopper fixedly held above said tamping instrument, said hopper having an outlet at the lower end thereof; and afiexible resilient conduit connected and establishing communication between said hopper outlet and the passage in said tamping instrument, said conduit forming a gravity feed path for powder and being of a length such that each reciprocation of said ram will cause said conduit to stretch and retract.

3. In a powder consolidating press, a receptacle support; a ram movable toward and away from said support; a substantially tubular tamping instrument carried by said ram; a powder receiving hopper fixedly held above said tamping instrument, said hopper having an outlet at the lower end thereof; and an elastic hose connected with said hopper and said tamping instrument and establishing communication between the outlet of the former and the interior of the latter, said elastic hose forming a gravity feed path for powder and being of a length such that each reciprocation of said ram will cause the hose to stretch and retract.

4. In a powder consolidating press, a receptacle support; a ram movable toward and away from said support; a substantially tubular tamping instrument supported for limited rocking movement by said ram and reciprocation therewith; means responsive to the reciprocation of said ram to rock said tamping instrument relative thereto; a powder receiving hopper fixedly held above said tamping instrument, said hopper having an outlet at its lower end; and a flexible one-piece tubular powder conducting element connected and establishing communication between the outlet of said hopper and the interior of said v tamping instrument, said powder conducting element.

forming a gravity feed path for powder and being of a length such that reciprocation of said ram will cause said element to elongate and retract.

5. In a powder consolidating press, a receptacle support; a ram movable toward and away from said support; a member connected with said ram and guided for movement toward and away from said support; a tubular tamping instrument supported for movement with and rocking movement relative to said member; cam and follower means operative to rock said tamping instrumentupon reciprocation of said ram; a powder receiving hopper provided with an outlet at the lower end thereof and supported above said tamping instrument; and a flexible elastic hose connected and establishing communication between the outlet of said hopper and the interior of said tamping instrument, said hose being stretched and retracted upon each reciprocation of said ram.

6. In a powder consolidating press, a receptacle sup port; a ram movable toward and away from said support; a substantially tubular tamping instrument supported by said rarrrfor limited rocking movement relative thereto and reciprocation therewith; a cam member; a follower connected with said tamping instrument and engaging said cam member, said cam and follower imparting rocking movement to said tamping member upon reciprocation of said ram; a powder receiving hopper supported above said tamping instrument, said hopper having an outlet at the lower portion thereof; and an elastic hose establishing communication between the outlet of said hopper and the interior of said tamping instrument, said hose being elastic to permit the rocking movement of said tamping instrument and being of such length that it elongates and retracts when said tamping instrument reciprocates.

7. In a powder consolidating press, a reciprocable ram; a receptacle support axially aligned therewith; a tubular tamping instrument; means connecting said ram and tamping instrument, said means normally holding said instrument in axial alignment with said ram and providing for limited movement of said instrument relative to said ram to dispose the axis thereof at an angle to the axis of said ram; cam and follower means connected with said instrument to control movement thereof relative to said ram; a powder receiving hopper fixedly held above said tamping instrument, said hopper having an outlet; and a stretchable hose establishing a substantially straight line gravity feed path for powder between the outlet of said hopper and the interior of said tamping instrument in all positions of reciprocatory movement of said ram.

8. In a material consolidating press, a support; a ram movable toward and away from said support; a tamping instrument operated by said ram to tamp material into a receptacle on said support; a fixedly mounted material receiving hopper having an outlet; means movable with said tamping instrument for directing material into said receptacle, said means including means forming an inlet, and an elongatable conveyer means connected and establishing a gravity feed path for material between said hopper outlet and said inlet means, said elongatable conveyor means being constructed and arranged whereby it elongates and retracts when said tamping instrument is operated.

9. In a material consolidating press, a support; a ram movable toward and away from said support; a tamping instrument operated by said ram to tamp material into a receptacle on said support; a fixedly mounted material receiving hopper having an outlet; means operated in synchronism with said tamping instrument for predetermining the flow of material from said hopper through said outlet; means movable with said tamping instrument for directing material into said receptacle, said means including means forming an inlet, and an elongatable conveyer means connected and establishing a gravity feed path for material between said hopper outlet and said inlet means, said elongatable conveyor means being constructed and arranged whereby it elongates and retracts when said tamping instrument is operated.

10. In a material consolidating press, a support; a ram movable toward and away from said support; a tamping instrument operated by said ram to tamp material into a receptacle on said support; a fixedly mounted material receiving hopper having an outlet; means for predetermining the flow of material from said hopper through said outlet; means movable with said tamping instrument for directing material into said receptacle,

said means incl ding means forming an inl t, an an ejIQngatable conveyor means connected and establishing a gravity feed path for material between said hopper outlet and said inlet means, said .elongatable conveyor means being constructed and arranged whereby it elongates and retracts when said tamping' instrument is operated.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 988,885 Maxim Apr. 4, 1911 

